{"id":166252,"date":"2025-11-09T12:12:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T17:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=166252"},"modified":"2025-11-09T12:12:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T17:12:34","slug":"time-for-pelicans-to-reverse-their-derik-queen-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/11\/09\/time-for-pelicans-to-reverse-their-derik-queen-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Time For Pelicans To Reverse Their Derik Queen Decision"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW ORLEANS \u2014 The New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> have become the league\u2019s punchline a month into the season. They can change that narrative by starting Derik Queen.<\/a> Their early-season disaster has been compounded by the regret of trading an unprotected first-round pick next summer just to move up in June\u2019s draft. That decision, once merely mocked, has now become a cautionary tale across NBA front offices. With a 2-7 record, the Pelicans sit dead last in the West. If that holds, the Hawks<\/a> could end up with a top-five pick in a historically loaded draft\u2014one projected to feature at least three potential number-one prospects.<\/p>\n

Time For Pelicans To Reverse Their Derik Queen Decision<\/h2>\n
\"Joe
Oct 13, 2024; Uncasville, Conn, USA; Class of 2024 inductee Charles Smith speaks alongside presenter Joe Dumars (\u201806) during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Symphony Hall Springfield. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The situation has turned dire for President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and the Pelicans front office. What was supposed to be a bold, upward swing has instead become a nosedive toward embarrassment. But there\u2019s still a way to salvage the season and restore some dignity: start Queen.<\/p>\n

Queen\u2019s Early Promise Deserves More Trust<\/h3>\n

Queen is the Pelicans\u2019 most exciting young talent since Zion Williamson<\/a> arrived in 2019. Unlike Zion, who debuted in January of his rookie season, Queen stepped on the court opening night in Memphis. His debut\u2014three points, five rebounds, and a block\u2014didn\u2019t turn heads. But his poise and control hinted at far greater potential.<\/p>\n

When given more minutes, Queen has responded impressively. He\u2019s averaging 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 stocks. He\u2019s yet to start, but his on-court influence is undeniable. In the Pelicans\u2019 first win of the season, against Charlotte, Queen delivered 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals on 5-of-7 shooting. His +13 plus-minus ranked second only to Jose Alvarado\u2019s<\/a> +21. Every advanced metric supports what the eye test already suggests\u2014Queen changes games.<\/p>\n

Numbers That Demand Action<\/h3>\n

Queen\u2019s net efficiency rating of +19.4<\/a> ranks in the 91st percentile across the league. His play translates to roughly +8.2 points per 100 possessions and about +34 expected wins over a full season. He\u2019s not just impacting the game; he\u2019s redefining the Pelicans\u2019 ceiling.<\/p>\n

Defensively, Queen is even more impressive. His presence slashes opponent scoring by over 11 points per 100 possessions\u2014a lockdown impact that puts him among elite interior anchors. With Queen on the floor, opposing teams\u2019 effective field goal percentage drops by 6.1%. He forces hurried shots, creates chaos in the paint, and boosts turnovers by 4.2%, giving New Orleans valuable extra possessions.<\/p>\n

Queen and Zion: A Promising Duo<\/h3>\n

Skeptics may question Queen\u2019s fit alongside Williamson, but the data already answers that. In limited minutes, the Queen-Zion pairing boasts a +23.2<\/a> net rating in 38 minutes. The two complement each other well\u2014Zion\u2019s explosive athleticism and Queen\u2019s instinctive playmaking form a natural synergy. Their chemistry could anchor the Pelicans\u2019 long-term identity: physical, creative, and efficient basketball.<\/p>\n

Time To Live With the Gamble<\/h3>\n

The Pelicans front office risked their future by surrendering an unprotected pick in what could become a legendary draft. But that risk can still pay off. Starting Derik Queen not only improves the Pelicans’ immediate performance but also reduces the value of the pick they owe Atlanta. More importantly, it accelerates Queen\u2019s development into a foundational piece.<\/p>\n

New Orleans can\u2019t undo its reckless decision. But it can own it\u2014by betting fully on the player it sacrificed so much to acquire. Starting\u00a0Queen is no longer just about development. It\u2019s about restoring credibility, salvaging the season, and proving that the gamble was worth it.<\/p>\n

Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW ORLEANS \u2014 The New Orleans Pelicans have become the league\u2019s punchline a month into the season. They can change that narrative by starting Derik Queen. Their early-season disaster has been compounded by the regret of trading an unprotected first-round pick next summer just to move up in June\u2019s draft. That decision, once merely mocked, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":164087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,33,3],"tags":[50244,49871,1437],"class_list":["post-166252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-pelicans","category-news","tag-2025-26-nba-season","tag-derik-queen","tag-nba-starting-lineups"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166252"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":166254,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166252\/revisions\/166254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}